For the first time since MTV introduced a Best Afrobeats category in 2023, this year’s VMA nominations don’t include it at all. That absence makes the nominations for Burna Boy and Tems, announced Tuesday ahead of the September 27 ceremony at LA’s Peacock Theater, land a little differently than in past years. Rather than competing within a genre-specific lane, both Nigerian stars are now up against the biggest names in global pop, hip-hop, and Latin music.
Burna Boy picked up two nominations, both tied to “Dai Dai,” his collaboration with Shakira that became the official song of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In Best Collaboration, he’s up against a stacked field that includes Clipse alongside Kendrick Lamar, Pusha T, and Malice for “Chains & Whips,” as well as Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Bring Your Love.” The same song also earned him a Best Latin nomination, where he’ll compete against Bad Bunny, Karol G, and Rosalía, among others, an unusual crossover placement for an Afrobeats artist that reflects how “Dai Dai” straddled genre lines.
Tems, meanwhile, is nominated in Best R&B for “Raindance,” her collaboration with British rapper Dave, facing a lineup that includes Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, and Justin Bieber.
The category’s disappearance carries some weight given its short but notable history. South African singer Tyla won it twice, first in 2024 for “Water” and again in 2025 for “Push 2 Start,” beating out a field that included Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, Tems, and Asake. Rema and Selena Gomez claimed the inaugural award in 2023 for “Calm Down.” Whether the category returns in future years or was folded permanently into broader genre classifications remains unclear from MTV’s announcement.
This year’s ceremony is dominated elsewhere by Madonna, who leads all nominees with 11 nods, followed by Taylor Swift with nine. The show airs live on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming available on Paramount+, and fan voting in most categories stays open daily through September 25 at 6 p.m. ET.
Whether the shift out of a dedicated Afrobeats category signals broader genre integration for the VMAs, or simply reflects how this particular crop of nominated songs crossed into other lanes, is something only future ceremonies will clarify.
